“Empress of Mars” was a bit of a letdown after the two most recent episodes of Doctor Who. The Ice Warriors were a nice throwback to older Who, but they really didn’t do much for me. I really wanted to spend more time with the Monks, but at least we got to see a little bit of the crazy in Missy’s eyes.
Here are some thoughts I had while watching “Empress of Mars.”
Imperialism
Imperialism and Manifest Destiny are ugly periods in western history. The British Empire thought that its God-given right was to spread its rule across the globe, subjugating native people groups. The United States used Manifest Destiny as its excuse to spread across North America, fighting wars and driving out indigenous people. Thankfully the Doctor was on Mars to help the British soldiers and the Ice Warriors find a better way. I love the United States and I’m happy to be an American, but no amount of patriotism should ever be confused with God’s will.
Eye for an Eye
I love the Sermon on the Mount. Even people who don’t believe that Jesus is the Son of God like the Sermon on the Mount. In his longest recorded sermon, Jesus doesn’t nullify the Law, but he expands on it. Jesus lays out the reality that his audience would have understood, but then pushes them to see a deeper reality. The standard of “eye for an eye” may have worked for a while, but in a world transformed by the cross, we can choose a different path. Grace and mercy were shown to us, so we can show grace and mercy to others, even Martians.
Noisy Males
I loved when the Empress asked for Bill’s opinion. The Empress said that they were surrounded by a bunch of noisy males and wanted to hear a different voice. I’ve been more intentional, lately, in trying to follow more women on Twitter. Female journalists, politicians and nerds have a different perspective than I can ever have. I may not always agree with their perspective, but I think it’s important to be aware of them. Jesus elevated the position of women in his society, and I want to do the same.
Hopefully “Empress of Mars” leads us to some more adventures with Missy. I feel like the show has something up its sleeve with her this season, and I can’t wait to see what that is.
What did you think of “Empress of Mars?”
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